fix you
by croll
Summary: Leo realizes he can't fix everything.
1. Unscathed? Not a chance

Leo fixed things. He was, at his core, a fixer. So when something beyond his control to fix (for example: humans) broke, it drove him mad. Right now, Leo was on the verge of mad. What should have been a relatively simple quest had just taken a horrifying turn.

Get in, grab the young demigod, get out. The group had found the young girl hiding behind a pile of trash in an alley. It took them a bit to convince her they weren't the enemy. Rocks kept picking up and flying at them and at one point this crazy weed sprang up and wound itself around Annabeth's ankles. Thankfully, she's pretty good with that knife of hers. Needless to say, the girl was powerful and scared. Never a good combination.

Eventually they tried a different tactic. Stepping back, they let Annabeth sit on the other side of the trash mound to just talk. Leo had never fully heard her story, but if anyone had an experience that was going to relate to the lost little girl, it was this daughter of Athena. She soon discovered that the girl's name was Chloe and she'd been on her own for nearly 6 months. In the end the redhead tentatively stepped out before rushing into Annabeth's arms. Relieved, the small gathering of demigods prepared to take their new friend home.

Of course the giant porcupine monster spoiled all that. This massive creature covered in spikes crawled around the corner and sneered at the youth. "Oh this is a company I'd receive honors to destroy." Leo for one was ready to be back in Bunker 9, so he snapped. "Sure thing Spike. But all you'll get with us is a painful death and maybe a dunce cap from your buddies when they hear how quickly you were destroyed!" Just before it sprang, their lovely war strategist hollered instructions. "I've got Chloe, Nico corner, Leo flame on, Percy control and cleanup!" They got the message.

As the monster began raining clusters of splinters down on the group and demigods began dodging, they put the plan into action. Nico's creepy dead- guy-things rose up and began battling, eventually trapping it in the back of the alley. Leo threw his flame balls and when the barn to our right caught on fire, Percy put it out (he's got their backs like that). For a moment after the battle they thought they had escaped unscathed, but as the mist cleared we heard Annabeth's cry of alarm. Percy paled as he spun to locate her. But it wasn't his beloved in trouble. It was Leo's.


	2. The Best Distraction

… but as the mist cleared we heard Annabeth's cry of alarm. Percy paled as he spun to locate her. But it wasn't his beloved in trouble. It was Leo's.

Nico was curled up on himself as spasms of pain racked his small frame. Lodged into his left calf had to be over a hundred thick splinters. A shudder ran through Leo's spine as he heard Percy's hoarse voice, "Holy Hades, Nico."

Leo stared in horror at his best friend. He thought he might have heard Annabeth calling to him, but he was in shock. Finally, she grabbed the fire-bender's shoulder and spun him around. "Leo. Do. You. Have. Ambrosia."

Leo gulped and reached inside his tool belt, praying he had some. His prayers went unanswered. "We have a seriously problem." he informed the group.

Thankfully Percy took charge. "Okay, Leo we need a pair of pliers, gauze and duct tape." The mechanic summoned the needed supplies and then knelt next to Nico to take his hand. The back of his mind was scolding him. _Come on lame-brain, you've pulled hundreds of screws, nails, and crap out of things. Get it together!_ But Leo was shaken. He felt a breach in his emotional wiring and he didn't know how much longer he could hold. The son of Poseidon looked Leo in the eyes, reading them with ease.

"Leo, you keep his attention. You're the best distraction anyone could ask for." Leo couldn't help but grin at the compliment. Percy placed a firm grip on Nico's swelling ankle and held it still before glancing at Annabeth and nodding to the pliers. She gaped at him in horror before steeling herself and submitting to the task at hand.

Nico bit his lip as the first spike was pulled out, whimpered on the second, and let out a full blown scream on the third.

"Step it up Leo!" yelled Percy, "You're not helping out here."

The reprimand took effect. Leo grabbed the frail boys chin and forced their eyes to meet. "Okay, hey there Hell Boy. You're, you're gonna be fine. Too bad I don't have charm speak like Pipes eh? I could just convince you to feel great!" He was met with another whimper, but he forged ahead. (No pun intended).

"This kind of reminds me of when I fell into the bush and it had that huge bees nest. I had no clue I was allergic. My face was huge! Pretty funny huh? Remember that?" Nico growled. "Leo" he ground out, "You almost died that day… not. Funny." A blush crept up Leo's neck. He had taken that day as a joke. He didn't think anyone had cared. "Sorry, oh, yeah. Sorry. Ummm." Leo was getting frustrated. When life got stressful he had plan A, humor and when that failed he defaulted to his last resort: anger. Right now, he could feel his helplessness manifesting into aggravation. "What am I supposed to do?! Juggle?!" For the first time since the emergency began the faint traces of a smile graced the pale boys features. "Try harder repair boy," wheezed Nico, "fix me." The last part was immediately followed by a sharp cry of pain. Nico was shaking again. Leo looked towards Nico's leg and saw that Annabeth had only gotten about 15 of the splinters out. Leo cursed. Looking back at the son of Hades he noticed a single tear run down the pale cheek bringing tears to his own eyes.

_How do I fix this?! How do I fix you? What do you need?_ Then it struck. If he'd given it a second thought he surely would have reconsidered. But since when did the ADHD mechanic ever consider his actions? Leo softly ran his thumb over Nico's cheeks and glanced from his lips to his eyes and back to his lips.


	3. Cursed

… since when did the ADHD mechanic ever consider his actions? Leo softly ran his thumb over Nico's cheeks and glanced from his lips to his eyes and back to his lips. Nico's dark eyes held a warning look, but it was withering, almost as if he knew how badly he needed this right now. Unfortunately before Leo could take action, Nico jerked harshly. Annabeth had chosen that very moment to dislodge a particularly deep splinter. The result, Nico and Leo's faces crunching together. Nico's white cheeks reddened, but Leo, determined, barely reacted. He simply initiated the kiss. It was firm at first as if Leo was daring Nico to deny him. But soon it softened as they both relaxed.

When they paused for a breath Leo noticed everything had gone quiet. Casting a glance behind him, he flinched. Annabeth looked thoroughly confused, pliers frozen in mid air. Percy's eyes wide with shock also held a ripple of amusement. "Well that's one way to do it Repair Boy." Nico growled, and Leo stammered before letting out a weak, "Shut up and get back to work."

And return to work they did. Percy regained his grip on Nico's leg, Annabeth took hold of another splinter and Leo captured Nico's lips once again. The mechanics' calloused fingers rubbed Nico's temples to ease the pain and he tenderly licked the tear from his cheek before returning to nibble his bottom lip. Leo leaned back at one point to search his friends face. Nico flinched, shuddered and passed out, sending Leo into a full blown panic.

"He's not awake! Guys he's not awake!" Annabeth dropped the pliers for a moment to come examine Nico's face, Leo didn't slow down. "Are they poisoned? Is he gonna... gonna..." Leo choked back a sob. He couldn't say what was on his mind. It hurt too much. His goal in life was to never stop moving, stay ahead of the pain. Yet here he was, stuck and on the verge of losing another loved one. _You're freaking cursed valdez. Everyone you touch, everyone you care about dies. What made you think this would be different? How dare you drag him into your curse?_ Leo sat with eyes glazed, visibly flinching. Annabeth quickly grew concerned. She grabbed Leo's chin and in a strong voice assured the boy. "They aren't poisoned. I checked first thing. He's okay. It's probably just too much pain, for too long. He's okay. You did good Leo." But he began to cry regardless. He couldn't help it. Nico looked so frail. Briefly he was reminded of sobbing as the firefighters held him back from the burning tomb his mother was encased in, and as Festus fell from the sky broken. He'd lost so much and he was so sure he was losing Nico right now. What if he didn't make it? He's not like Festus. He can't just rebuild Nico. When Nico goes… he'll be gone. Gone like his mom. And Leo couldn't bear that thought. So he wept and in his grief he caught on fire.

The blonde girl scrambled away as he leapt to his feet and with a cry of rage began throwing fire where the long dead monster had been. He vaguely heard his friends cries of alarm. The next thing Leo knew he was on the ground sopping wet. Percy had summoned a massive wave from the canal and in a sense, put him out. Soon after, strong arms wrapped around him and he relaxed as he was rocked gently back and forth. "You did good Leo. He's fine. He's okay. You're okay. Just chill." Leo released a wet laugh at the pun in his friends command. "I'm sorry," whimpered the broken Latino. "I'm so sorry. I lost control. I never should've... I didn't' mean to..." Green eyes met brown and with utmost sincerity Percy swore everything was going to work out. "It's all okay. Leo, you haven't slept in three days. You're what's kept this stupid trip together. Just relax. It's almost over. You've done good." Percy hugged him tightly once more before walking back to help Annabeth get the last of the thorns from their friends leg.

The two finished their work, wrapping his leg in gauze and duct tape before Percy pulled the frail demigod up into his arms. "It's time to go." It was only then they remembered their new friend. Up against the alley wall was the sweetest sight. Chloe and Leo sat side by side, Chloe clutching to his hand in comfort. Her head resting on his shoulder and he was asleep with his head on top of hers. Annabeth cracked a smile. "Is there anyone who doesn't love him?" she mused. She and Percy both jumped as Nico, newly awake, joined the conversation. "I think he's the only one without a clue." Percy's brows knit together, before he relaxed into a mischievous smirk. "Well lover boy, you're gonna have to fix that."


	4. Author's Note

Well I must admit I'm overwhelmed and pleased to have you all on this journey with me. I'm writing this note to let you all know that I'll be on a road trip soon, so while I'll be continuing this story with pen and paper, you won't be receiving 3 updates in the next 2 hours. Also, I'm rolling with the punches with this story. I did a character study on Leo and was inspired to write this, but if you have thoughts or ideas about how this could go I'd love to hear. Well, food for thought while you wait for chapter 4:

It's strange, after I began writing this I heard the song Fix You by Coldplay and was shocked by how accurately it expresses the character of Leo Valdez (hence the story's title)

"When you try your best, but you don't succeed

When you get what you want, but not what you need

When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep

Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face

When you lose something you can't replace

When you love someone, but it goes to waste

Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home

And ignite your bones

And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below

When you're too in love to let it go

But if you never try you'll never know

Just what you're worth"


	5. It wasn't pretty

The trip back to Camp Half Blood was uncomfortable to say the least. Sure Leo dropped a joke here and there, but it felt forced. It was forced. The previous events weighed on the teen and humiliated by his own weakness Leo found himself on edge. He hid it well and most wouldn't have picked up on the unease, but these were his close friends. As a result, the typically lighthearted and jovial bunch (sans Nico of course) were off kilter. Sensing Leo's agitation Nico reverted to sulking whenever he was conscious to do so. Even Percy remained unnaturally quiet and withdrawn. The only chatter came in hushed whispers from the two girls as they became further acquainted.

There was only one interaction between Leo and Nico and it wasn't pretty.

As the group breached Half Blood Hill a small clan of Harpies converged on the teens. Without looking for consent Percy placed Nico's arm around the son of Hephaestus, uncapped Riptide and engaged in combat. Annabeth pulled Chloe behind her and unsheathed her knife. The three groups each faced off with a Harpy. Percy charged, wielding his sword like a madman. He rolled under an outstretched talon, reaching up and successfully clipping a wing. Off balance, the creature tilted and slowed. Percy took advantage of the moment and leapt as he swung his blade successfully beheading the nasty bird-like monster.

Meanwhile Chloe manipulated a rock to slam into the back of their harpy's head. As it spun to face it's unknown foe, Annabeth jumped onto its back, slit it's throat and fell to the ground in a pile of "monster dust".

As the battle began Leo wracked his brain. He wanted to protect Nico, but doing so meant leaving him vulnerable as he fought the beast. Thinking quickly he helped the boy to the ground, summoned a large hammer and heated it up. Leo swung hard enough for an out-of-the-park homerun and felt the satisfying crunch of contact. But the blow didn't do enough. The beast screeched and lashed out in response, it's claws penetrating the flesh of Leo's cheek despite his efforts to jump back. Leo regained his footing, albeit momentarily dazed. As his attention span zeroed back in on the monster at hand he raised his weapon for round two. Leo stopped short in surprise when a blade emerged from the harpy's chest. The monster crumbled into dust to reveal Nico breathing heavily and on his knees, blade in hand.

Leo was incensed. "Are you insane? You're… you're hurt Nico! You can't just… you shouldn't be…gods Nico! How stupid are you?"

Now, of all the things to be said, this was a far cry from what Nico had expected. When he'd seen the wounds on his mechanics face, impulse took over. He'd shadow traveled behind the beast and killed it as quickly as possible. Seeing Leo's enraged eyes set him off. He looked up from his spot on the ground (hoping he looked more intimidating than he felt).

"What was I supposed to do?" He ground out. "Was I supposed to let it kill you?"

The mechanic wiped blood from his eyes as his shoulders slumped.

"I'm not totally helpless you know," he whispered before turning towards the camp. An Apollo camper ran up to assist him but he shrugged her off and directed her towards the fallen son of Hades. Moments later Leo was gone. Percy had moved to follow but Annabeth held him back.

"Give it time Seaweed brain."

The brunette looked like he wanted to protest, but eventually he resigned. "If you say so Wise girl."


	6. Not A Machine

It's really hard to compete with a machine. Machine's do as they're told, don't question their creator and perform based on design. A mechanic builds and if he is efficient the devices please him as he created them to. Nico recalled Percy talking about his own encounter with the great mechanic, Hephaestus. The man was lonely and trusted no one; he only relied on what his hands had built. He relied on what was predictable, measurable, without emotional rationing or impulse. One of Nico's worst fears was that Leo would follow in his father's footsteps. While some ignorant individuals might beg to differ, Nico had feelings. As he endured bed-rest his mind had gone into overdrive and he finally resigned himself to holding second place in Leo's heart. He could never compare to a mechanical boat or dragon or probably even a well-made toaster. He didn't know what happened after he'd passed out in that alley, but it was clear Leo was feeling insecure about something (or someone). Nico was certain that someone was him.

A loud clatter took him from his thoughts. there on the floor of the infirmary was Percy. He was blushing furiously and scrambling to clean up the mess he'd made as a tall bleach blonde from Apollo's cabin scolded him relentlessly. Nico thought about letting her run him up and down, but decided to be merciful instead.

"Aww Jules, leave him be. Percy can't walk a straight line out of water," Nico taunted.

Julie, the typically uptight medic, cracked a smile and patted Percy on the shoulder before taking the re-supplied medicine tray from his hands. The son of the sea god mock glared at his friends before occupying the seat by Nico's cot.

"Jerk" grumbled Percy.

Nico grinned coyly. "Never denied it." But the smile fell as his mind wandered once again.

"How's... How's Leo holding up? Is he mad?" asked Nico.

Percy stared blankly for a moment before replying. "You mean he hasn't stopped by? Like, not even once?"

Nico bowed his head in shame, but his slight nod was enough to give Percy his answer. Sighing, the son of Poseidon glanced around, wary of others in the infirmary. He leaned in, his usual lighthearted nature long gone.

"Nico, look at me," he said. "Look. At. Me." Slowly the frail teen raised his dark eyes to meet bright green. Nico almost dropped his gaze again at the intensity.

"Nico, it's not you. Not really," he began. "I'm pretty sure he's upset with himself. He kind of lost control when you passed out. He thinks he's cursed."

Nico scoffed, "cursed? I'm the freaking King of cursed. He has to know that right?"

Percy let a sad smirk slip through. "You two have way more in common than you know."

"Are we talking about Leo?"

The two brunettes jumped, startled by the third party in their private conversation. Now sitting on Nico's other side was Thalia Grace. Her bangs hung low guarding her electric blue eyes (which were dancing in glee, clearly conspiring). When neither responded she laughed.

"Come on Death Breath, it's pretty obvious." The son of Hades winced, "Yeah well, uh... Yeah actually."

Her smile widened, "So what's your plan?" He blinked at her confused. "What do you mean?" He asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

Thalia's blue eyes rolled, "This is why guys shouldn't get together. No brains, no romance, no creativity! I could go on and on. I evem spent time with the huntresses of Artemis and I've still got more of a clue!"

"Hey!" Nico defended. "I'm not, we're not... argh."

"Chill out," chided the daughter of Zeus. "This is why I'm here... to help."

Percy and Nico shared a concerned look. This seemed so out of character for the usually tough as nails girl. but after a moment Nico conceded. "Tell me your plan and I'll tell you if I'd rather wash Geryon's backs in Taurtarus."

AN:

Next chapter will focus on Leo's side of things THEN you will get your fireworks I promise.


	7. Good As New

Just a bit of personal advice: don't startle a demi-god.

Smoke rose from a newly blasted hole in the wall just inches above Nyssa who sat sprawled, her hands up in defense and her face frozen in horror. She'd climbed down into bunker 9 to check on the Hephaestus Cabin Counselor only to find him asleep on a massive chariot. When she saw the youth lying in such an awkward position with tear tracks trailed over the ugly red scratches from his harpy encounter, she couldn't help, but be had moved. She had reached out to carry the scrawny boy to his bunk when he awoke with a start. Leo had jerked up yelled out and shot flame right at Nyssa. If she had been any less agile she would have been fried chicken.

"Oh gods. I'm so sorry. Nyssa," Leo slurred as the cobwebs cleared from his mind. When he saw his terrified friend he cursed. "Are you hurt? I didn't know, I didn't mean to. What have I done?" He began to ramble, but Nyssa regained her composure, straightened her red bandanna, and slowly made her way to the fire-bender. Grasping his wrists firmly she caught Leo's eyes. "I'm. fine. It's alright," she paused for a moment taking in his wounded face once more. His eyes looked haunted. She softened her tone. "Are… are you okay Leo? You haven't left the bunker for almost two days. People are talking, we're worried about you man."

Leo looked away, but she persisted. "Come on back to the cabins. Get some sleep, grab some food. You can even check on Nico." For a moment as she spoke Nyssa thought she'd convinced him, but for some reason when she mentioned Nico his eyes filled with hurt before losing life altogether.

"No, I'm good. I'm working on… stuff."

Nyssa huffed and stamped her foot. "You're exasperating! You were passed out on a chariot, in the middle of a project! Do you have any clue how dangerous that is? Leo! What is going on? Please talk to me. Let me care."

Leo tried to respond in anger, but his voice caught in his throat and he found himself choking back a sob. When Nyssa saw the emotion rise she stepped forward. "Oh Leo," she whispered. "Come here."

Typically Nyssa scared the crap out of Leo. She could beat him to a pulp with no problem. But that also meant she could be quite the mama bear. He lunged forward and buried his face in her shoulder as the sobs overtook him. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but think he'd spent far too much time crying as of late. But the grief had finally reached an all-time high and the dams broke.

Sometime later the two sat on the floor of the bunker. Leo's head was in Nyssa's lap as she absently played with the unruly mop on his head. His sobs had subsided and he'd been staring off into nowhere for a few minutes.

"You gonna tell me what's going on or do I have to beat it out of you? Is it Nico? Did he do something, say something? Did he hurt you Leo?"

Leo shook his head urgently. "No, no he didn't do anything. It's me. It's, it's always me."

Nyssa didn't like where this was going. The boy needed some sense talked into him.

"Leo, I don't know what happened, but I need you to know that you're not a failure. You're important and valued. Do you understand that?"

Leo fidgeted, his hands had found some scraps on the floor and were fiddling with them.

"Nyssa, I'm cursed. You don't get it. I'm-," but he didn't get to finish.

"Cursed? You wanna talk about curses huh? Welcome to the Hephaestus Cabin where everybody is cursed!" she spat. "I told you once, Leo that I don't believe in curses. If that's the label you want then fine. But let me tell you just a little bit about _my _curse. Right before you met me I had broken 28 bones in the span of two months on 13 different occasions. For the first time in my life, the one thing I could go to in order to escape my hell of a life was stolen from me. I couldn't fix it. I couldn't build _anything_."

"I lost my brother when I was 5 to a car accident that I'm certain wasn't a drunk driver. It was a monster. I had just begun to move on because I'd been taken in by my new big brother Charles Beckendorf. But of course he had to go get blown up on a cruise ship. I'd started to recover from that when I discovered the reason he died was because his girlfriend had betrayed the camp. And to top it all off, as I was attempting to get over _that_ this 'curse' took full force on our cabin. Don't talk to me about curses as if you're alone Leo! Welcome to Camp Half-Blood where everybody _sucks_ at life. Have you even spoken to Nico about his past? Have you asked him about his curse? Cause we all have one. Trust me."

She wrapped up her rant and took a deep breath. Leo had sat up at this point and was hugging his knees and resting his chin on top of them. "I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking. It's just so hard sometimes."

Nyssa pulled him into a hug. "I know Leo. I know."

When his eyes started to droop she tried to arouse him, but it was too late. He'd overexerted himself.

Nyssa pulled Leo into her strong arms and began to make her way back to their cabin. When they hit the clearing Piper and a few other campers caught sight of them and ran up concerned.

"What happened is he okay?" asked Piper frantically with a panicked Harley hustling behind her. He looked so small and scared. Like he was about to lose another counselor. Nyssa smiled and nodded.

"Everything's fine. He just worked himself too hard. A little R&R and he'll be good as new."


	8. Dreams

As Leo slept he dreamed vividly. Being a demigod, he knew the weight of these dreams. They weren't frivolous stories his imagination conjured up.  
Now, usually his dreams lingered just enough to get a message across, but tonight images flew before him in rapid fire: images that sent a chill through his bones and horror rising up in his throat.

He saw a lightning bolt strike a small home, Hades roaring in a blind rage, a toddler with tears welling up as he tried to comprehend the sight before him, a girl not much older clinging to the child.

Then Leo saw the same boy playing a strange game with a goofy grin spread across his face as his older sister colored next to him. Leo realized the boy was Nico, but he had never seen his friend so carefree and happy. He giggled and glanced at his sister with a mischievous grin. "Oh you're just jealous you aren't as good as me," he was saying.

The scene switched to the same girl, Nico's sister, climbing up an automaton with determination and Percy sliding across the desert floor barely escaping the machine's massive foot. Suddenly Percy was screaming, "Get down, get out!" The machine fell to pieces. The girl was gone and it was just Percy and his team yelling her name and searching desperately. Percy tore through rubble till his hands bled. When dawn came he begged for them to continue their search, but he was vetoed. They needed to move on with their mission.

Leo's vision was then filled with Percy's shame-filled face as he was yelled at. It was Nico's voice, but it held a venom and a loathing that Leo had never heard from the boy. "You lied!" "I never should have trusted you!" "I don't trust you!" "hate you! I wish you were dead!"

The dream tilted once more and Leo was on a massive ranch. It zoomed past a large heard of red cows to the porch of a barn where Nico stood with his blade drawn, Percy was before him with his hands raised as if trying to reason with him, "What happened to Bianca was-" began the son of the sea god, but Nico wouldn't have hit. "Don't speak her name! You're not worthy to even talk about her!"

Leo felt heartache begin to way him down as he entered the most horrific visions of all. Nico was running for his life, but he couldn't seem to escape the dark hole behind him. Soon, despite clawing at the ground he was sucked in. He was immediately apprehended by a group of vicious creatures. They found entertainment in beating him, passing him from claw to claw like a sick game of hack-y-sack. When his cries quieted they became bored and left him in a broken quivering heap.  
A beautiful woman approached and seemed to tend to his wounds, but it quickly became clear that while she mended him physically she was inflicting far more harm mentally and emotionally. She wiped a rag across a particularly deep gash and whispered, "This is your due punishment child. Your father was always right, you're a failure. You could never compare to Bianca. You could never save _anyone_. Percy didn't kill your sister, _you _did. You never should have let her leave your side. Her blood is on _your _hands. But oh, not just her, your mother too. Yes, if you hadn't been born she wouldn't have died."  
Nico's back spasmed as he attempted to rise and avoid this verbal abuse, but he was too weak. The woman continued.  
"You're worthless. You're unlovable. In fact, no one even cares that you're here right now at all. You belong in this torment. You could never be accepted at that camp. Sure you got yourself a cabin. But it was because they pitied you. But they don't love you. Nobody is searching for you. I mean honestly sweetie, it's not like you're Percy after all. There is no Annabeth to hunt you down and care for you. You will die down here. You will die unloved, unwanted and guilty of heinous crimes." Nico was shaking with sobs at this point and Leo was screaming at the vile woman. "Leave him alone you witch!" He reached for his tool belt ready to cream this creep, but he realized he didn't have it. This was a dream.

The dreamed morphed once more revealing Nico curled up in a massive jar. He looked dead as he lay pale and unmoving. A pair of agitated giants stood before him. "Entertain us! Dance! Dance!" one yelled, but Nico remained still. The other roared in frustration before screaming, "You're useless!"as he stormed away. Leo caught what the monsters didn't. When the insult was thrown Nico flinched visibly on the cold floor.

The last vision Leo saw really made his heart churn. Nico sat trembling in one of the storage rooms aboard _his _ship, Argo II. His knees were pulled to his chest so his head could rest atop of them. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he conversed with himself. "You're fine. You're safe. None of it was true. They came for you right? They…" he choked on a sob. "Idiot. You can summon the dead, but when your best friends are falling to their deaths you're useless. Good going Di'Angelo. You really are the Ghost king. You sent most of them there yourself…"

Leo woke in a cold sweat with tears on his cheeks. His chest was tight with anguish. He'd been so self-centered. He needed to make things right.


	9. Percy's Plan

Graduating from the bed to crutches is exciting for a whole 3 minutes, then it just sucks. Nico was happy to be out of the infirmary and into the fresh air, but his handicap was really dampening his mood, not to mention foiling Thalia's plans.  
"You could hike to—," she began to suggest, but she cut off when she saw the murderous look Nico was sporting. "—in a car…" she trailed off lamely. Thalia cursed and speared a Greek dummy before plopping down with a huff.

The trio had been occupying the arena for the better part of an hour now just going in circles. They'd chosen this particular spot with the certainty that Leo wouldn't be practicing his swordsmanship any time in the next millennia. Sure he could make a beautiful sword, but use it? Not likely. What had elongated their planning session was Nico's inability to do… well, much of anything. No swimming, no hiking, no biking, no horseback riding. Sure a dinner would be nice, but it wasn't enough. This was supposed to be special.  
"I've got it!" Percy announced, but right as he did Thalia slugged him in the arm. "Perc! I just thought of something," she whined.  
"Well you snooze you lose," he threw back.  
"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard, why you little—," they continued bickering for a bit longer until Nico decided to break it up.  
"SHUT UP!" he yelled, slamming his crutches into the dirt for good measure. "And I thought I was the baby of the group, you're like squabbling children." Once he had their attention and (thankfully) their silence, he continued. "Why don't you both tell me your idea and I'll decide which is best. Percy you can go first."  
The green eyed half-blood grinned in triumph as his cousin stuck out her tongue at him…

* * *

The sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon as the two dark haired teens made their way down to the lake.  
"Nico I really have to tell you something, it can't wait," whined Leo. He'd been begging to speak throughout their entire venture down the path, but the son of Hades wouldn't have it.  
"Nope. Uh-uh. Anything you have to say can wait till we're there… unless you're breaking up with me. You're not breaking up with me are you?" he asked, eyes flashing with panic.  
"No! No, no, no, absolutely not," assured Leo allowing Nico a breath of relief.  
"Good. So no talking."

Behind a clump of trees crouched Percy and Thalia. The daughter of Zeus was still miffed.  
"Remind me again why your idea is first?" Percy scoffed.  
"Cause it's better," he retorted, but she wouldn't take it lying down.  
"Oh please. It's not even original! Haven't you seen the little mermaid? You practically stole the date right out of the script!"  
"Was that supposed to be some sort of sea god joke?"  
"Only if you want it to be, Ariel!"  
"You want some sparky?"  
"You're gonna be seafood when I'm done with you, ya insolent little brat!"  
"Says the immortal ten year old!"

(Little side note for our friends back home. Percy and Thalia are quite powerful. Sometimes that aids them in saving the day… sometimes they ruin a potentially wonderful date.)

Nico and Leo stumbled away from the lake as a massive storm brewed. A tidal wave rose from the lake and gathered speed heading towards the shore. Leo grabbed for Nico as they tried to escape, but Nico tripped crying out in pain. In a blink of an eye the wave and crashed down leaving the two boys and everything within 200 yards sopping wet.  
It didn't take long for their two friends to round the corner still bickering.  
"What have you done?" raged Thalia. Percy paled as he saw the two coughing up water.  
"Oh gods. Are, are you guys okay? I'm so so sorry, I just… I," he rambled.  
"Relax Perc. I'm fine. I'm okay. We're okay. Just promise me you two won't spy on us… ever. Again."  
The two nodded their heads vigorously.  
"Now leave," the two looked to protest, but he held firm. "Gone, now. Hasta Luego. See ya."  
"But, you don't need help getting back, you don't need anything?" Percy persisted. But Nico just looked smug. "I've got Leo."

Not long after that Nico leaned back against Leo's chest as they huddled by a fire.  
"Sorry about… this," whispered Nico. Leo grinned. "Are you kidding me? That was freaking hilarious. When you think about it. I mean, how lame is that Under the Sea scene anyway? We needed a good tidal wave to spice things up!" The two burst into laughter.

It wasn't until later that night as Leo lay awake in bed that he remembered what he had meant to say earlier. "Gods I suck," he muttered. "Tomorrow," he promised himself. "I'll bring it up tomorrow."


	10. Braver than Me

It had been a week since the 'tidal wave incident' as they had taken to calling it and life had slipped back into normalcy. The only difference was, now that their friends were fully aware of the relationship, every touch of the hand or smile Nico and Leo shared was followed by knowing snickers. Fortunately the rest of the camp had taken the interactions as a typical inside joke.

Despite his attempted resolve, Leo had failed to tell Nico what weighed heavily on his shoulders. With how life had straightened out, he didn't want to ripple the waters. "Tonight," he muttered for what seemed (and most likely was) the thousandth time.

Across the horse shoe Nico could be found pacing a trench into the floor of his dark, eerie (so very Nico) cabin. The word nervous couldn't begin to express how he felt. The son of Hades wrung his hands as the conversation of two nights prior ran through his mind once more.

…..

"Nope. Absolutely not. Thalia are you insane?" growled the very agitated son of Poseidon. "You of all people should know how stupid this is." The dark haired girl scoffed. "Come on Fish! Don't be such a pansy! I spent months at a time outside the camps borders." Nico's eyes followed the argument like a ping pong match. "With the intention of hunting monsters," snapped Percy. "And you were with the freaking _GODESS OF THE HUNT_ for crying out loud! This is so no the same thing and you know it."

The debate dragged on until eventually the daughter of Zeus won out. Nico would take Leo on the "perfect" date… which of course would be overshadowed by the chance of a horrific fate.

Despite Thalia's convincing words, Nico couldn't help but feel nauseous as the date drew near. He didn't want to let Leo down and this would really be perfect for the greasy demigod, but he was really on edge about the whole thing. Nico shook at the thought of their destination, but he berated himself, "Man up Di'Angelo. Are you really planning on avoiding these for the rest of your life?"

Half an hour later he heard a knock on the door. Behind it was a grinning Leo. Nico pulled a tight smile on his face and said, "What took you so long?" Leo's grin only widened. "Yeah right Angel! I'm so punctual my punctuality is even leaking out _your _ears," he shot back. The two cracked up as Nico shoved Leo out the door. "Well let's hope it's enough to keep us from missing our bus."

…..

"Leo, if... if this goes really horribly… I," began Nico as he shifted uncomfortably on the large, mostly vacant bus. "You won't let it get to you because nothing ever goes right for us," replied Leo sternly. The attempt at reassurance fell flat in light of its implications. Nico's eyebrows furrowed even deeper and Leo paled, scrambling for words that could remedy the situation.

"On our own we suck Nico. You know that, and I know that. And you'd think that would mean we would never really work out. You'd assume it's a recipe for disaster. But I disagree." At that Nico's brooding gaze snapped up to Leo's, but Leo looked away and forged ahead. "I think we need each other and we're the only ones in the world that could ever understand so perfectly. You save me Nico. I need you so bad." When Leo finished his rant his hands slowed from their high-speed tinkering and his eyes slowly lifted to assess whether this outpour had taken hold. Leo's heart froze when the face he met was still hard and calculating. But it didn't stay that way. Nico's eyes softened and he released a shaky breath. "I'd… gods… Leo I… I'd hoped you felt this way too, but I couldn't assume. I couldn't put myself through that." Leo's hands picked up pace once more screwing and unscrewing and shifting and screwing again. Nico reached out and stilled the mechanics' hands before pulling him into a tight embrace. The two held each other for a long moment before Nico turned bringing his mouth close to Leo's ear. "Thank you for being braver than me."

…..

The rest of the hour passed quickly as the boys lapsed back into their usual antics. When the bus pulled to their stop they were laughing hysterically and the driver looked pleased to have them go. Nico grabbed Leo's hand and led him along a dirt road and up a large hill. When they crested the hill Leo's eyes buldged, his mouth dropped and for the first time his hands stilled. In the valley below was a massive junk yard (one Thalia swore was cursed in no way).

Author's Note:

Wow, sorry for the long wait! Gee this took me forever to write. I'm still trying to get my bearings on this one. I do have some thoughts for the next chapter though.

Who's already gotten House of Hades? I have and I'm loving it so much!

Reviews are so appreciated.

Love you all!


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